This Southern state files the most lightning claims in the country: State Farm

Data from the insurer shows a staggering number of lightning claims filed in the state; there is no clear explanation why the state posts such numbers, however

Insurance News

By Lyle Adriano

Georgia is the state with the most number of lightning claims, said insurer State Farm.

The state files so many lightning damage-related claims that it tops State Farm’s ranking for most number of lightning claims for the years 2014 and 2015. Last year, Georgia posted 2,718 claims, with Texas second at 1,789 claims, and Louisiana third with 1,391 claims.

Why or how Georgia manages to post such high numbers is not an easy question to answer.

"Unlike the Midwest or other area, we deal with severe weather all the time from thunderstorms to hail storms to lightning strikes,” reasoned State Farm agent Chris Douse. “It's just something that happens in the state of Georgia."

State Farm urged consumers to secure insurance well before severe weather conditions strike.

"Lightning is not preventable. Lightning is lightning. However, there's things you can do to avoid things happening to you and damage to your property," remarked Douse.

Consumers who think they could be safe inside their cars in the midst of a thunderstorm should take a moment to understand why such a belief is a dangerous misconception.

"It's a myth,” said Eddie Butler of local auto repair Butler Automotive.

“Most people think that because the cars are on rubber tire that they're protected. In actuality, the car basically serves as a shield,” Butler told WRDW News 12.

Lightning actually flows around the outside of a car, with most of the current flowing from the car’s metal frame into the ground, weather.com said.

Certain interior parts of the car could also conduct electricity, so motorists and their passengers should avoid touching their radios, GPS units, door handles, foot pedals, steering columns, and steering wheels when there is a risk of a lightning strike.

Not all cars will exhibit the same grounding properties, however. Automobiles that are convertibles or are manufactured largely from non-metal parts will impede the electricity’s ability to flow.

The National Lightning Safety Institute stated that some vehicles struck by lightning could sustain external damage such as pitting and arcing. Internal damages are possible as well, with electronic systems and other related components especially vulnerable.


Related stories:
Four Southern states top the list for lightning claims: Report
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